For the first time in the school’s history, the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union School District is requiring heart screenings, specifically electrocardiogram (ECG) screenings, for every student athlete. The goal is to detect potential issues and also get baseline measurements for each participant.
In 2008, a Los Gatos High School football player named Michael Halpin died after suffering sudden cardiac arrest following a team meeting. Since then, the district has been trying to find an affordable way to conduct heart screenings for all athletes.
This year, the district began working with the Kyle J. Taylor Foundation, a local organization aimed at increasing awareness and preventing sudden cardiac arrest among teens, in memory of Kyle John Taylor, a Leigh High School student athlete who passed away after a sudden cardiac arrest in 2018. Because the foundation charges only for the fees associated with ECG supplies, it is a more affordable option than many others. Other schools in the area, such as Prospect High School and the Harker School, have also begun conducting schoolwide heart screenings for their athletes.
The recent concern about sudden cardiac arrest in youth is hardly confined to high school sports and has gained significant national attention in recent years. Buffalo Bills football player Damar Hamlin made headlines in January 2023 when he suffered sudden cardiac arrest upon making a tackle during a game. Only a couple months later, Bronny James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, suffered a cardiac arrest during a basketball practice when attending the University of Southern California (USC).
In James’ case, it was caused by a congenital heart defect, or a structural abnormality in the heart that had been present since birth. Oftentimes, individuals will seem to be healthy and will not express any signs of a serious problem in their appearance — which is why it is even more important for athletes to get a heart screening done.
So far, the district has offered multiple dates for testing, including two sessions in August, November and January or February. Students’ families pay $20 for the screenings.
“I felt that if we identified one student with risk factors, it would be worth all the trouble — and we have identified 10 students!” district Nurse Lisa Tripp said.
Between the two schools, 933 students have been screened so far this year and a handful who were identified with heightened risk factors were referred to their physicians for further evaluation.
“I expected the line to be longer. I thought it was going to take a long time, but it was actually really fast. I think they scheduled the appointments pretty well, so it’s not overcrowded,” said junior Matthew Liu, who runs track.
Every student athlete was screened this year to get a baseline. Moving forward, the school will only be screening in the freshman and junior years, as the American Heart Association recommends a heart screening every two years.
“The process was pretty fast. I got in and out in less than 30 minutes. Didn’t hurt, no pain — it was pretty chill,” Liu said.
